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ALBUM OF THE WEEK # 248 ROYAL THUNDER - CVI (2012)
Artist: Royal ThunderGenre: Doom MetalNationality: AmericanRock And Roll Hall Of Fame Member: NoAlbum: CVIProducer: Royal Thunder/Joey JonesRelease Date: 2012Running Time: 63 MinutesRIAA Certification: IronPeak Billboard Chart Position: #1659Singles: Unknown Disclaimer: All info that does not reside in my brain is gathered from wikipedia.com (mostly because Jon can't stand it). For the final March Metal Madness posting, I will expand a bit on the theme of "metal's future" that Scott started earlier in the week with his SHT post. I have a definite unknown for you. It's Royal Thunder's full length debut called CVI. Royal Thunder is from Atlanta, Georgia (my neck of the woods) and this, in my opinion, is a pretty cool album. I haven't been able to spend much time with it as I just got it, but hopefully that will change. I will say it's a bit different than what I typically like, but sometimes that just happens. I will also mention that MLny Parsonz has a killer voice (and she plays bass). Here is a band biography lifted from the Relapse Records website:Royal Thunder is a four-piece rock band based out of Atlanta, Georgia that seamlessly blends the timeless elements of heavy classic rock, 90's grunge and forward thinking progressive rock. Propelled by the powerfully emotional voice of frontwoman Mlny Parsonz, guitar heroics of Josh Weaver and dynamic drums of Evan Diprima, Royal Thunder has been described by NPR as “a revved-up Southern hard-rock that howls like Led Zeppelin astride a psychedelic unicorn.”, "magnificently compelling rock music" by Decibel Magazine. Formed in 2004 by Weaver his brother and his best friend, the band went through several lineup changes over the years until settling on their current lineup which also added second guitarist Will Fiore as of 2015. Since Diprima joined in October 2012, the band has been heavily touring the world including full North American / Euro Tours with Baroness and North American Tours Monster Magnet, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Pallbearer, Enslaved, Corrosion of Conformity, O'Brother and many more. The group has also played high profile festivals including SXSW, Bonnaroo, Scion Rock Fest, Bragg Jam, Roadburn, and numerous others. In 2007 Royal Thunder self-released their debut EP and started touring with Jesse Stuber on drums. By 2010 Relapse Records took notice and signed the band starting with an official re-release of their self-titled EP and later in 2012 releasing their full length debut, CVI. Stuber left the band after CVI was complete and Lee Smith joined at that time on drums and also played on the last track of CVI, "Black Water Vision". The band toured with Lee Smith and Josh Coleman (who also joined during the making of CVI on second guitar) for a few US tours. CVI was widely praised by critics including Rolling Stone's David Fricke who said Weaver’s playing has “the meaty, base elements of early-Seventies British blues” and Metal Hammer Magazine who stated "Through the powerhouse vocals of Mlny Parsonz and a refusal to keep their sound boxed, Royal Thunder look set to be the underground's next big breakout stars”. Other publications like SPIN called the album "stunning" while Revolver Magazine described it as "essential" and The Guardian called them "elegantly powerful" and compared them to prime Led Zeppelin. In between a heavy touring schedule during 2013 the band recorded CVI: A; an acoustic rendition of three songs from CVI. The band then entered the studio once more in January of 2014 to begin their sophomore LP, Crooked Doors which was once again recorded, produced, and engineered by Joey Jones of Aria Recording Studio; whom the band has a long standing working and personal relationship.So there you have it. The good news from my point of view is that Crooked Doors is due out on April 7th. It will arrive at my home on that day and will make an appearance in NMC that weekend. What do you think? Can this band help keep the metal fires burning well into the 21st Century?1. Parsonz Curse2. Whispering World3. Shake And Shift4. No Good5. Blue6. Sleeping Witch7. South Of Somewhere8. Drown9. Minus10. Black Water Vision***I'm gonna add a live performance video below of Whispering World***See More